


(Not) An Earth-Shattering Kaboom

by randi2204



Series: Steampunk!Seven [22]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: 3K Round-up Challenge, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Explosions, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 12:11:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7102852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randi2204/pseuds/randi2204
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>They were all still covered with soot and coughing, eyes watering from the smoke when Nathan accused Buck of this being his fault. </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	(Not) An Earth-Shattering Kaboom

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Todesengel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Todesengel/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** These boys belong to MGM, Mirisch, and Trilogy. I just like to ~~blow things up~~ play with them. *grin*
> 
>  **Note:** Technically, this is out of order, since it takes place in the general timeline _before_ [Shoveling Coal](http://archiveofourown.org/works/344707). But I figure it wouldn't make any sense if it was first, so I'm just tagging it on to the end of the list.

They were all still covered with soot and coughing, eyes watering from the smoke when Nathan accused Buck of this being his fault.  Staring at the flaming ruin of Josiah’s workshop, Buck couldn’t help but agree.  
  
It all started – if it had to start somewhere  _outside_  the mad genius of Josiah’s brain – on that little wagon train jaunt the Judge had ordered them on.  Buck had confiscated Eugene’s slingshot, and had it in his pocket when they’d discovered that dynamite.  Because he’d always been a damn fine shot with a slingshot, he’d figured it would be fun to rain those explosives down on Dicky O’Shea’s fellas.  Ezra, who liked explosives more than any man that neat-lookin’ had a right to, thought it was a grand plan, and lit the fuses for him.  And then boom! Dirt and shrapnel flung into the air, Irishmen twitching and throwing themselves to cover that didn’t exist anymore and Ezra chuckling and grinning like this was the best time he’d ever had.  
  
Afterwards, when the folk on the wagon train were celebrating (a very subdued sort of celebration, but they’d been through a lot), Josiah had tapped him on the shoulder.  “Mind if I take that slingshot off your hands?” he asked.  “I think Eugene might want it back.”  
  
“Well, since we’re leavin’ tomorrow,” Buck replied, almost jovial despite the lack of female company here, “I reckon it won’t do much harm.”  He fished the toy out of the back of his belt and gave it to Josiah.  
  
Josiah nodded.  “Much obliged.” He strode off toward the wagons without another word.  
  
Some days after they got back to town, Buck had gone out to Josiah’s workshop to haul him back to the saloon for dinner, when he’d heard a  _twang_  not too far away.  An instant later, a crackling piece of dynamite had come falling out of the sky.  He skittered away from it and managed to dive behind the horse trough before it exploded.  The shockwave seemed to raise the dust all over the place; it got in his nose and he sneezed almost as explosively.  
  
Josiah came down from behind the workshop, holding a contraption in his big hands, his expression one of anticipation.  Then he saw Buck shaking his head to keep his ears from ringing and winced.  “Buck! Sorry you got caught in that blast.  Did you happen to see where it exploded?”  
  
“No, Josiah, I didn’t,” Buck retorted, brushing off his shirt, “I was too busy tryin’ to find cover!”  
  
Josiah sighed.  “I was trying to figure out how long the fuse could be so it’d stay lit and still explode at ground level.  When I started out, the fuses were too long, then I cut them too short.”  
  
“Josiah,” Buck said, “what is… is that a  _slingshot_?”  The core of the thing that Josiah held looked like a gun, but the breech had a band across it, with a basket like a slingshot.  
  
Josiah held the gun-slingshot hybrid up proudly, and Buck noticed that the end of the barrel had been changed, too, but he couldn’t figure out just what it was supposed to do.  “I’m calling it a dynamite distance launcher.”  
  
“You think there’s much call for somethin’ like that?”  
  
Josiah bristled.   _Whoops,_  Buck thought,  _looks like he ain’t been sleepin’_.  “That slingshot came in handy when you were shootin’ dynamite at O’Shea’s men.  This is the same type of thing.” He pulled a stick of dynamite from the pouch slung over his shoulder.  “Load the dynamite into the basket…”  
  
“Josiah, you didn’t light it.”  
  
Josiah’s expression eased a little; apparently, paying attention was a good thing.  “I don’t need to, there’s a striker at the end of the barrel.  Keeps it from exploding in your face.  Pull the basket back – see how the barrel lengthens? That’s to keep the dynamite from going anywhere but where it’s supposed to go.”  
  
Buck’s eyes widened as the barrel stretched backward, the dynamite less than an inch away from the end of the metal.  “Whoooeeee…”  
  
“Then you let go.” Josiah released the basket, the barrel folded back up into itself as the dynamite went inside, then it came out the other end, lit.  
  
And flew straight into the side of his workshop.  Buck yanked Josiah down behind the water trough as the side of the building exploded outward with a thundering  _kaboom_.  
  
The blast drew the others from town – it was like they knewthat any kind of boom like that was Josiah’s doing – but there was nothing to be done; the dynamite had ignited the lantern oil and the whole place went up like dry kindling.  
  
“See what you done, Buck?” Nathan hissed at him as the embers smoldered.  “Now he’s gonna be doin’ things like this  _in town_!  The church is the only place left with any space!”  
  
Buck winced.  “Sorry!  But maybe if someone stays and watches him, it won’t be so bad.”  
  
Nathan closed his mouth, which Buck was glad of, since it meant he wouldn’t get yelled at any more, and looked thoughtful.  “Yeah.  Yeah, that’s an idea…”  
  
***  
April 9, 2016

**Author's Note:**

> For my dear [Todesengel](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/todesengel), who prompted me recently for some Steampunk!Seven 'verse about Buck and the dynamite launcher. Apparently it was just the thing I didn't know I wanted to write.


End file.
